Care assistant anyone ?

I work in a residential and dementia care home, I am 26 weeks pregnant. I am exhausted, I no longer do 12 hour shifts and now do 6 hour shifts, every work day is miserable, my residential residents are SO demanding and rude. They insult me all the time, telling me how I’m a bad mum for working and shouldn’t be working when I’m pregnant. But yet they seem to do there utmost to make my job harder. I have reported it all but management just kinda brush it off as “they’re paying for a service”. I’m rarely allow to work on the dementia floor because of behavioural risks with some of them. Which I do understand but they’re all so sweet and 99% are always pleasant to me. I think I just need a moan, because my back is killing and my hips are killing. None of my team seem to want to cut me some slack. The constant getting down on my knees, bending, transferring, running around because we never have enough staff. I’m just so tired and fed up and I know it’s only going to get harder as the weather gets warmer as I’m not due till August 16th 😩😩😩
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Hey hun . I work as a care assistant as well but my residents are so pleasant and sweet , I work in the dementia unit but I am constantly risk assessed . It’s still very demanding however but slightly bearable , my team members are helpful on some occasions too . I think you can communicate this with your manager let him/her know how difficult you are finding it .

Sending all my love 🥺❤️

Hey hun i also work as a care assistant but in the community going house to house. I do find this a lot easier and a lot less demanding. I really send you all my love as i couldnt imagine being knackered and tryna support people who are throwing it back in my face and also having no support from my collegues

You’re doing an amazing job, it sounds so challenging. You should be seen by occupational health (ask your manager for a referral) regarding the physical movements involved to make a plan for that. Otherwise what’s your sick pay like, can you afford to take some time off (being aware of your calculated weeks for Mat pay)? I’m sure your GP would be willing to sign you off given the physical and mental impact of the role. Are there any more administrative tasks you could do like audits etc? You’re honestly doing amazing and maybe just consider when you time your annual leave and commence mat leave - I understand I wouldn’t want to go off early and have less time off with baby but you need to put yours and baby’s health first xx

With my first child I also worked in the community and i don’t remember it being this hard. For childcare reasons working in a home was more stable hours so it worked well. But it is so hard and I’m so anxious that people think I’m milking it, we had a girl not long ago who literally refused to do anything the moment she found out she was pregnant, and I feel that because of her people aren’t being so supportive with me, even though I am always trying. I don’t get a break either with now only doing 6 hour shifts, I literally feel like no one cares, management said I can have a sit down every now and then if I need too, but the side comments and eye rolls from the others puts me off. I have a high risk pregnancy as I had severe pre eclampsia with my first child, I also have a high bmi and worry they just think I’m lazy. I feel so deflated in a job I used to adore. My midwife is referring me to physio for my aches and pains. I feel like I come to work to be bullied and belittled.

Don’t let peoples opinions of you get into your head. Sounds awful, I work in the NHS as a nurse and even I know that I am just a number and very replaceable. What isn’t replaceable is your health both physical and mental, and your babies health. I would ask your line manager to make a referral to OH and discuss both physical and mental health with them and the tolls this is taking on your health during pregnancy. They will then be able to make recommendations and a thorough risk assessment based on what you discuss with them. Atleast then it’s not come from you, but from them. I’m so sorry you don’t feel you are getting the support that you truly deserve. However, keep in mind what I’ve said regarding your work. Let them think what they want to think. As long as you, your body and your baby are happy and safe that is all that matters. X

Care assistant in the community here. Absolutely every right to moan! Being pregnant and a carer is really hard, like you said, going on knees and all that. Speak with you manager with what you feel comfortable doing and allow them to do another risk assessment. They can't tell you no unless it's high risk to your pregnancy otherwise it's classed as discrimination

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